Page 29 of The Light Within

“Before you explode at him in your next session, I have a sense that Julien may not have obtained these files using the most legal of methods. Just a hunch. So you might want to hold back.”

Cinn dug the heel of his trainer into the ground, drawing a pattern in the dirt. “I’m not seeing him again until January, anyway.”

The sun disappeared behind a grey cloud, removing the sliver of warmth it was offering.

“Come on.”

Darcy led the way back into the kitchen to make another round of tea. By the time the leaves in the teapot had brewed, the front door clicked open and noisy footsteps echoed through the cottage.

Cinn didn’t hold back his groan. He’d been rather enjoying his and Darcy’s silent solitude.

Julien slid a bottle ofverjusacross the kitchen countertop, its glass surface gliding smoothly until it hit Darcy’s hand.

“You found it then.” She wiggled the small, green-tinted bottle in the air.

“Piece of cake. We asked the shopkeeper,” said Elliot.

An awkward pause settled in the room. Cinn added a third spoon of sugar to his tea in order to keep staring down at it.

“So—”

“I think I need to go to London.”

The words were out of Cinn’s mouth before he even had a chance to understand why he was saying them. He ripped his eyes upward to meet Julien’s piercing gaze.

“Really? You want to go see her?”

Cinn gave him a single decisive nod before he could change his mind. His head spun. This morning he barely knew whether his mother was even alive, and now he had an address, questions, and a plan. Well, a plan of sorts.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” said Darcy, attracting everyone’s attention. “My parents are flying to London for Christmas, but I didn’t want to leave you alone this year, Julien, with how much you hate Christmas and such.”

“Why does everyone keep telling me how much I hate Christmas?” Julien mumbled.

“Last year you begged me to burn down that obnoxiously large Christmas tree in the town square when it was still there on the second of January,” said Elliot.

“AndIcaught you pulling down all the tinsel in the library study room,” said Darcy.

“It’s a place to work, not a winter wonderland,” snapped Julien.

“Anyway, now we can all spend it with my parents.”

Sounded like hell, but Cinn could hardly refuse Darcy’s kind hospitality. “Okay,” he replied weakly.

“I’ll go give them a ring from the living room. Elliot?”

Darcy looked pointedly at Elliot, who shot her a baffled look back before a flash of understanding flickered over his face. He followed her out of the kitchen, leaving Cinn and Julien alone.

Julien teetered on the balls of his feet. He wrung his hands together, gaze scrutinising Cinn’s face.

Cinn took a small sip of his tea, then set it back down. He leaned casually against the fridge. His gaze bore into Julien as he waited, and waited. He was prepared to wait all day for Julien to speak first.

The chasm between them grew wider with each passing second until it created an unbearable distance that threatened to engulf them.

Cinn cracked.

“You could’ve at least asked before digging up secret files on me,” he said in a rush, folding his arms.

Julien stepped towards him. “I didn’t seek it out. Béatrice’s was the objective. Yours was a lucky bonus.”

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